Index or directory.



D. T. OSULLIVAN.

INDEX OR DIRECTORY.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.21,1908.

954,334. Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DENIS T. OSULLIVAN, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

INDEX OR DIRECTORY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I)ENIS T. OSI'IIJJIVAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of est Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Index or Directory, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to indexes or directories having alphabetically arranged words or names.

The invention is especially useful when employed in connection with telephone books or similar directories. \Vhile searching for a name in such a book, ones mind is preoccupied by the act of memory which is necessary in retaining the spelling of the name sought. It is also necessary to bear in mind the initial letter of the name and its relation to other letters of the alphabet, that is, whether the initial letter comes before or after the initial letter of the page at which the telephone book or directory has been opened. This is confusing to the mind.

The object of this invention is to produce an index or directory having means for facilitating the finding of any name which is to be sought, and which will relieve the mind.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and partimilarly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective of an index or directory embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a view showing one of the leaves or sheets of this directory.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the index or directory 1 consists of a bound volumeprovided with a plurality of leaves 2 bound together in the usual manner. The manner of applying the imention is illustrated most clearly in Fig. At a conspicuous point on each page or sheet, preferably at the upper margin thereof, I print the letters of the alphabet arranged in alphabetical order, preferably in a single row, as shown. I provide a row of numbers below these letters, arranged in order with the letters, that is, numberin A, 'l, and Z, 26. Let us suppose that the page shown is on the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 21, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Serial No. 453,926.

sheet taken from the directory at the point where the names or words begin with D. Upon this sheet the names 3, will be arranged in the usual alphal'ietical order, as shown, and the letter of the alphabet at the upper margin of the page which is the initial letter of these names, is made of display type, that is, it is enlarged or has prominence given to it in some other manner.

Near the column of names,that is,at the left margin of the page, as indicated in Fig. 2, I provide two columns or spaces t and 5, to represent figures. In the first column,that is,column 4., numbers are written which correspond to the second letter in a name opposite which the number appears. Thus, for the name Danby the number in the column l is 1. In the second column,that is, in column 5, I adopt the same arrangement. The number in this column corresponds, however, to the third letter in the word Dam by because the alphabetic number of n is let, that is, it is the fourteenth letter of the alphabet. To illustrate further, in the name Daper the number in the first column is 1, while the number in the second column is 16, that is, it corresponds to the letter p, the sixteenth letter of the alphabet. In the name Deacy the first column number changes from l to 5 because the second letter of the name is e, the fifth letter of the alphabet, and the number in the second column is 1, corresponding to the a, which is the third letter of the word Deaey. Every column of names throughout the entire book is provided with number columns, as described.

In using the book to find a name, suppose that the book were open at the point where the names have the initial letter F, a display letter F in the row of letters at the top of the page will attract attention instantly, and at a. glance it can be ascertained in which direction the leaves should be turned in order, for instance, to find the name Dane. Having turned the pages until the book is open at a point where the initial of the names is D, a glance at the first column will be taken and the number 1 will be found. A glance at the row of letters above the page will show that the n which is the third letter of the name, is the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, therefore, the eye will follow down the second column until the number 14. is found.

This will bring the eye to nearly the exactspot where the word Dane is printed upon the page, that is, it will bring the eye to the point Where the names in the directory all begin with Dan. In this way, without burdening the memory with the spelling of the name, the finding of any name is very much facilitated. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the numbers in the columns 4 and 5, are not printed continuously, but are only placed at points Where the spelling with respect to the first three letters of the name makes the change.

The 85 at the end of the alphabet printed at the head of the sheet, is numbered 27. This is for the purpose of enabling firm names to be found. In looking for a firm name the number 27 would be sought in the second column, that is, in the column 5, and in this way facilitate the finding of firm names, such Doe & Roe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-

1. An index sheet having names arranged in columns thereupon in alphabetical order,

and having the letters of the alphabet arranged in a row transversely of the sheet, and figures arranged in a column at the side of the column of names, said figures being the alphabetic numbers of the second letters of the said names.

2. An index sheet having a plurality of names arranged in a column in alphabetical order, said sheet having the letters of the alphabet arranged in a transverse row thereupon, said sheet further having two columns adjacent to the said names, having figures in said columns, the figures of one of said columns being the alphabetic numbers of the second letter in said names, and the figures'in the second column being the the alphabetic numbers of the second letters of the said names.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DENIS T. OSULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

F. D. AMMEN, J OI-IN P. DAVIS.

Itis hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 954,334, granted April 5, 1910, upon the application of Denis T. OSulliva-n, of West Orange, New Jere-0y, for an improvement in indexes or Directories, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 43, for the word second read third; and that the said Letters Patent shouid he read with this correction therein that-the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oth'ce.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of December, A. D., 1911.

c. c. BILLINGS,

Act/92g C'on'zmz'st'ionm' Patents.

[SEAL] 

